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Forget Jaws! Sharks can SAVE lives!

We are used to the media using sensationalistic headlines when covering anything to do with sharks. “Jaws” “Monster” “Beast” “Mankiller” etc. are no unusual terms in those headlines.

This is the second time this year that we have to give kudos to a news outlet. The Daily Mail has a headline that says: Forget Jaws! Sharks can SAVE lives! You read that right, no scare tactic, no monsters, …. actually OK, they did mention monsters, but not the way we are used to either. The second part of their headline reads: We think of them as monsters, but a new documentary reveals they could help us fight cancer and Alzheimer’s

Hey, they even use a cool picture of one of “our” great white sharks. This is “Johnny”!

source

They are acknowledging how sharks are normally portrayed. Der-dum… der-dum… der, der, der, der, der, der… Mention sharks and, thanks to Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws, those suspenseful notes of impending attack are, for most, what springs immediately to mind. 

The movie masterpiece, which is 40 years old this summer, led to many a phobia, but according to a new three-part BBC1 documentary Shark, its toothy star isn’t that terrifying in real-life.
 
The article is talking about a documentary series “Sharks”, the BBC has produced and it covers a lot of different sides of sharks. They write about the scientific discoveries we made that could mean sharks can help with various human diseases, like Alzheimer’s. It is also covering a bunch of different shark species and is giving some very good information on sharks.

 
Of course we also want to give kudos to the BBC, which seems to be one of the few television outlets that are still producing quality shark documentaries, a far cry from the crap that ABC4 and Jeff Kurr, are producing for the discovery channel. Check out BBC’s “Shark” website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02n7s0d

Let’s go shark diving!

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.

03
May 2015
By Shark Divershark documentary, UncategorizedComments Off on Forget Jaws! Sharks can SAVE lives!

Shark sighting in Portugal

Congratulations to the algarvedailynews! You managed to cover a shark sighting near shore without sensationalism, with a simple “Mystery shark spotted near Tavira” headline.

In the article you go on to explaine exactly what happened.

As the build up to the swimming season starts with beaches being prepared and concession soon to open, a reminder that ‘we are not alone’ when bathing was evident in the waters near Tavira.

A shark at least two metres long was spotted by fishermen on the jetty close to the beaches at the entrance of the river Gilão.
Photo Michael Correia – Correio da Manhã

The shark clearly was in distress and was disorientated, swimming around in the shallow waters.

After an hour the shark headed back out to sea with its identity a mystery as, despite being observed by many fishermen, nobody could identify the species.

The Tavira shark was not a Hammerhead, a species which can come close to the shore but normally feeds at least a mile out mainly on sardines, tuna and mackerel and only when the water is warmer at 20 degrees or more.

In 2013 a three metre shark was spotted close in to the shore near the fortress at Sagres, again the species could not be acertained.

Along Portugal’s coast there are dozens of shark species, the majority of which stay offshore and deep down, venturing closer to the surface only when hunting for fish or looking for a mate.

There is an abundance of sharks in Portuguese waters, a sign of a healthy marine environment, but no recorded incident of anyone being attacked as sharks prefer eating fish of which there are plentiful supplies.
Kudos for reporting a shark sighting without sensationalism and resorting to the use of monster, beast or killer. You informed your readers, without scaring them. Your action shows that covering a shark sighting can be done in an informative manner and no scary headlines. I hope that other media outlets will take note. 
Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver 

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.

15
Apr 2015
By Shark Divershark sightings, swimming with sharks, UncategorizedComments Off on Shark sighting in Portugal

Shark sightings good for business?

We always hear about “shark scares” in the media. In Western Australia, the government is conducting a highly controversial shark cull, mostly because of fear that sharks are bad for business.
shark diving, swimming with sharks is fun, cage diving, bull sharks
So I was quite surprise to see this headline “Shark sightings off Cape Cod a boon for tourism“

The East Valley Tribune writes “ In “Jaws,” the fictional mayor tried to protect the summer tourism season by keeping a lid on reports of the man-eater lurking offshore. As sightings of great white sharks mount off Cape Cod in real life, however, businesses in the Massachusetts town of Chatham are embracing the frenzy.”

Maybe the Western Australia government should visit Chatham Mass. and talk to their businesses. They would hear that instead of the great white sharks scaring tourists away, they actually attract them.

Shark T-shirts are everywhere, “Jaws” has been playing in local theaters and boat tours are taking more tourists out to see the huge seal population that keeps the sharks coming. Harbormasters have issued warnings but — unlike the sharks in the movies — the great whites generally are not seen as a threat to human swimmers. 

No sensational headlines, no mass hysteria, no loss of business. Why don’t we see more of this kind of reporting in the media?

A local business man is quoted as saying: “I mean, truthfully, we’ve probably grown about 500 percent in terms of the sale of our shark apparel,” he said. The T-shirts, hoodies, hats, belts, dog collars and other accessories bear the iconic, torpedo-shaped image of great whites and sell for between $10 and $45.
 
Read the entire article here

It’s nice to see that an entire community has been embracing the great white sharks and found a way to use them to their benefit. This is an example, how humans and nature can benefit from each other. The people have a booming economy and the sharks don’t get culled. Are you listening, Western Australia?

Cheers,
Martin Graf
CEO Shark Diver

About Shark Diver. As a global leader in commercial shark diving and conservation initiatives Shark Diver has spent the past decade engaged for sharks around the world. Our blog highlights all aspects of both of these dynamic and shifting worlds. You can reach us directly at staff@sharkdiver.com.

30
Jul 2014
By Shark Diverswimming with sharks, UncategorizedComments Off on Shark sightings good for business?